Editorial: Man-caused fires notably harmful here

Posted:
06/13/2013 07:24:30 PM MDT

Last year was the biggest year for fires in the Rocky Mountains, even bigger than 2002, with more than 1.2 million acres destroyed by fire. 2002 was the year of the Hayman Fire, Colorado's largest on record, known for being started by a Forest Service employee.

The human element connects 2002 to 2012 because, last year, more acres in the Rockies were burned in human-caused wildfires (303,477) than in any year since 2002, when 661,679 went up due to human activities.

The cause of this week's Black Forest fire has not been determined, but the unreal devastation it has delivered is a reminder of how quickly a cool, wet spring can yield to an inferno, and of how careful everyone must be with fire in Colorado's wildlands.

Statistics provided by the National Interagency Fire Center reveal how often people start wildfires. From 2001 through 2012, humans caused more than 28,600 wildfires in the Rocky Mountain region. Nationwide, that number was more than 775,800. By comparison, lightning started 19,252 wildfires in the Rockies and 131,292 nationwide.

Far more acres burned in lightning-caused fires nationwide (almost 51.5 million acres) than in human-caused fires (31.7 million acres). But in the Rocky Mountains, from 2001 through 2012, human-caused fires have destroyed almost as many acres as lightning-caused fires. During that period, wildfires claimed 4.57 million acres in the Rockies, with 48.6 percent of that due to human-caused fires.

Some of those fires are accidental, such as by a thrown spark, but many are started intentionally or through carelessness. Colorado residents must be absolutely vigilant when it comes to their own activities, obeying fire bans and fireworks restrictions. Even when such laws are not in effect, campers must douse campfires completely. Smokers absolutely must not toss still-smoldering cigarettes out car windows.

People cannot eliminate mistakes and accidents, but Coloradans must be mindful of the damage that human-caused wildfires are doing to this region. If it weren't for people, about half the Rocky Mountain forests and meadows that have burned in the past 12 years might still be verdant.